Experiments in Opera to Present ‘Rainbird’
By Francisco SalazarExperiments in Opera, Mabou Mines, and Restless NYC present the world premiere of the new opera “Rainbird.”
The work is based on a novel by the celebrated New Zealand author Janet Frame. Experiments in Opera co-founder/executive director/composer Aaron Siegel and the Obie Award-winning creator/director/librettist Mallory Catlett have been developing this work for seven years through residencies at The Collapsable Hole, The Baryshnikov Center, and the Skirball Center.
The production features an all-star cast of singers including Gelsey Bell (Natasha & Pierre, Mourning, Ghost Quartet), Katie Geissinger (Meredith Monk Ensemble), Chris DiMeglio (Anthony Braxton Trillium R), Shurmi Dhar, Jeff Tobias, as well as instrumentalists Sugar Vendil, Andie Tanning, and Jess Tsang. Mallory Catlett directs.
In a statement, Aaron Siegel said, “When Mallory and I started work on Rainbird seven years ago, we were eager to make a piece from scratch following the success of our opera Brother, Brother (2015 at Abrons Arts Center). Throughout the process of bringing this piece to the stage, we explored the possibilities of the language and the characters to the fullest extent possible. Our job has primarily been to make space for the major themes of this opera to breath. Rainbird is an exploration of what it means to live, and what dying can tell us about ourselves and our community. At the same time, Rainbird is also a musical experiment. Much of the music was created in collaboration with the performers. We tested the line between composition and improvisation, and used the language as a guide for tone and form. The music for the opera bears the imprint of this process, and contains the conversant feeling of the original novel.”
Read Related Stories
Categories
IndieOpera
